Central Notes: Tomlin, Cunningham, Bucks Trades, Jackson
Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but not right away, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in his latest mailbag (subsciber-only story).
Teammates and coaches are lobbying for Tomlin’s promotion, he has the support of the front office, and Cleveland has an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Still, the cap-strapped team is in no hurry to make the move and will likely keep its roster options open until the trade deadline passes, since Tomlin has only been active for 41 games — that means he’s still nine away from the 50-game threshold for two-way players. The Cavs only have seven games prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons defeated New Orleans without All-Star starter Cade Cunningham in the lineup on Wednesday. Cunningham sat out due to an illness and a left hip contusion. He’s questionable to play in Detroit’s home game against Houston on Friday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
- The Bucks have limited trade assets but they’re comfortably below the luxury tax line and about $18MM under the first apron. So what kind of moves might they make, short of trading their superstar? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm proposes a number of hypothetical deals, a few of which include Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris and Amir Coffey as well as a blockbuster that would involve Bobby Portis and several other players to acquire the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
- Quenton Jackson‘s ankle was “jammed,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, during the Pacers’ loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Jackson wasn’t on crutches in the locker room afterward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak (Twitter link), and seemed to be moving around OK though he was in some pain. He’s questionable to play against Oklahoma City on Friday.
Pacers, Pelicans Have Discussed Mathurin, Missi
The Pacers and Pelicans have explored various trade scenarios that would send fourth-year guard Bennedict Mathurin to New Orleans and second-year center Yves Missi to Indiana, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Fischer classifies the Mathurin/Missi possibility as an “incomplete deal framework,” but confirms that New Orleans has some interest in Mathurin, whom the Pacers have made available as they seek a starting-caliber center. According to Fischer, Indiana is still exploring the market to see if it can extract a stronger return for the 23-year-old Canadian, who is headed for restricted free agency this summer.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints and Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal previously wrote about the Pelicans’ interest in Mathurin and discussed the possibility of a deal involving Missi. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported earlier in the month that the Pacers had checked in on the Pelicans big man.
Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points in 32.2 minutes per game on .423/.366/.876 shooting during the final year of his rookie contract. He has been affected by a right thumb sprain and turf toe, which have limited him to 24 appearances so far and have limited his effectiveness when he has been available. Mathurin is in line for a new contract this offseason and the Pacers – who already have $177MM in guaranteed money on their books – may not be in position to give him the sort of deal he’ll be seeking.
As for Missi, he had a promising rookie year in which he averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game across 73 outings (67 starts). However, his playing time has dropped off this season after New Orleans drafted Derik Queen in June. The 21-year-old has averaged 5.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 18.8 MPG and has shifted to a reserve role.
Missi is earning $3.4MM in the second year of his rookie contract, while Mathurin has a cap hit of $9.2MM, so the Pelicans – who are just $2MM away from the luxury tax line and $3.6MM below the first apron – would need to add more salary to make a deal work.
The Pacers are hardly the only team eyeing Missi. The Bulls are also a suitor, Fischer confirms, noting that the big man appears to be generating the most interest of any of the Pelicans who are actually available. The Knicks are another team that has inquired about Missi, according to Scotto (Twitter video link).
Ranking The Pacers' Roster Through 41 Games
- It’s been a rough first half of the season for the Pacers, who arrived at the midway point at 9-32, observes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Dopirak examines the performance of every player on the roster through the first 41 games, along with their likelihood to return next season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Pacers Sign Tony Bradley To Second 10-Day Contract
JANURY 19: Bradley’s second 10-day contract is official, the Pacers announced (via Twitter).
JANUARY 17: Tony Bradley‘s 10-day contract with the Pacers expired after Saturday’s game, but coach Rick Carlisle told reporters he’ll be signed to another 10-day deal, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin (Twitter link).
Bradley began the season on Indiana’s roster, but he was waived on January 5 before his $2,940,876 salary became fully guaranteed. He was re-signed to a 10-day deal three days later.
Bradley has appeared in six games since rejoining the team, logging at least 15 minutes four times, including tonight as he finished with 12 points and three rebounds in a loss to Detroit. He’s part of a crowded big man rotation along with Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson and Micah Potter.
The 28-year-old center suffered a fracture on the tip of his right thumb in mid-December that forced him to play while wearing a splint. That and the addition of Potter, who played well after joining the team on December 26, helped to make Bradley expendable.
The Pacers don’t play again until Monday at Philadelphia, so they may wait until then to re-sign Bradley. Assuming that happens, his next 10-day contract would run through January 28, making him eligible for five more games.
Players are only permitted to sign two 10-day contracts with a team during each season. If Indiana wants to keep Bradley on the roster past then, he’ll have to be given a standard deal.
Isaiah Jackson Talks About The Severity Of His Concussion Symptoms
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who returned to action on Saturday after missing nearly four weeks with a concussion, talked to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star about the severity of the condition. “Headaches,” Jackson said. “Fogginess. My thoughts were foggy. … My symptoms were severe. Light sensitivity. Sound sensitivity. I couldn’t even be around. I was bad. I was literally just in my room the blinds were shut. I had sunglasses on. It was bad.”
Pacers Notes: Huff, McConnell, Injuries, Bradley
Pacers center Jay Huff had a career night in Friday’s win over New Orleans, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). The 7’1″ big man posted a career-best 29 points (on 13-of-17 shooting) while chipping in nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes.
“(Huff’s) getting better just at understanding where he needs to be,” Pascal Siakam said. “Continuing to run the floor, get some good rolls. He’s a shooter, so sometimes I think he forgets that he’s seven-feet, you know?
“So get down there. Get some of those dunks, those tricky ones — he owes me an assist today too for that missed dunk he had — but naw, I think he’s just playing free, shooting open shots, running hard and playing hard and getting those rolls and he’s able to get buckets.”
Huff, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Memphis, got off to a relatively slow start with Indiana, averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds on .413/.294/.833 shooting in 34 games through the end of December (19.5 minutes per contest), Dopirak notes. However, the 27-year-old has played some of the best basketball of his career since the start of the new year, scoring 20-plus points three times and averaging 13.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .667/.424/.833 shooting over the past eight games (23.0 MPG).
“There’s growth with his connection with his teammates,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s feeling the game that we play better and better all the time.”
Known for his shot-blocking prowess, Huff — a former G League Defensive Player of the Year — is second in the league in blocks per game (2.1) among players who qualify, Dopriak adds.
Here’s more from Indianapolis:
- While there was little doubt that he would reach the threshold given that he’s been regular part of the rotation, Huff also had his salary for 2026/27 fully guaranteed after playing at least 825 minutes in 2025/26 — he’s currently at 845. His contract previously featured a $379K partial guarantee for next season, but he will now earn a guaranteed $2,667,944. The Pacers have a 2027/28 team option on Huff worth $3,005,085 — that figure will now be guaranteed as well if the option is exercised.
- Backup point guard T.J. McConnell joined Lou Williams as just the second player in NBA history to record at least 3,000 assists off the bench, per Tony East of Circle City Spin. The 33-year-old dished out nine assists on Friday to surpass that threshold. “Getting an assist, my teammates have to make the shots at the end of the day,” he said. “So for me, this says more about the players that I’ve played with in Philadelphia and especially here. Been fortunate to play with some great players in some great locker rooms, and just thankful for each and every teammate I’ve played with.”
- The Pacers will be shorthanded on Saturday in Detroit on the second of a back-to-back, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Siakam (rest), McConnell (left knee/elbow injury management), Aaron Nesmith (rest) and Andrew Nembhard (lower back injury management) are all out. However, center Isaiah Jackson has a chance to return — he has been upgraded to questionable. Jackson has been out since December 23 due to a concussion.
- Tony Bradley‘s 10-day contract will expire on Saturday night, East notes (via Twitter). The veteran big man was waived at the beginning of January before his contract became guaranteed but Indiana brought him back a few days later. The Pacers have the option to re-sign Bradley to a second 10-day deal.
Pacers Notes: Missi, Mathurin, I. Jackson, Guy
The Pacers and Bulls are among the teams with interest in Pelicans center Yves Missi, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Multiple reports have indicated that Indiana has inquired about the second-year big man.
According to Afseth, the Pacers are believed to have some traction in trade talks for Missi, with Bennedict Mathurin potentially heading to New Orleans. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported something similar on Thursday.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Speaking of Mathurin, head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on the injured wing on Friday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Carlisle said he went through a workout with Mathurin on Thursday and would do so again prior to Friday’s game against New Orleans. While the fourth-year guard/forward was out again Friday as he recovers from a right thumb sprain, Carlisle said Mathurin is “making a lot of progress” and there’s a chance he could return during the team’s five-game road trip, which begins Saturday in Detroit.
- Carlisle also gave an update on big man Isaiah Jackson, who has been sidelined since December 23 due to a concussion, Dopirak adds. Jackson has recovered from the head injury and is ramping up his conditioning after missing three-plus weeks. “He’s closer,” Carlisle said. “He’ll be on the trip. He’s doing well.”
- As Scott Agness reports in a pair of stories for Fieldhouse Files (Substack links), former NBA guard Kyle Guy has agreed to a buyout with the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, after reaching a contract agreement to play in China. “We try to put our players in the best position possible,” Boom GM Chris Taylor told Agness. “Hopefully it’s an NBA call-up to compete at the highest level, but this is a heck of an opportunity — and 100% checks that box of helping him get to a better situation.” A former second-round pick, Guy briefly retired as a player in order to pursue coaching opportunities. The 28-year-old was leading Noblesville in points and assists per game, averaging 21.1 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.1 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .450/.372/.714 shooting in 20 appearances (40.0 MPG).
Trade Rumors: Morant, Lakers, Pelicans, Mathurin, Kuminga
Although Ja Morant‘s time with the Grizzlies has been on a downward trajectory for a few years, tensions reached a boiling point at the end of October, when Morant received a team-issued one-game suspension, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly challenged Morant’s “leadership and effort” following a loss to the Lakers in which the point guard was noticeably disengaged throughout the second half. Morant responded to Iisalo in a “tone deemed inappropriate.”
According to Siegel’s sources, the event led to a schism in Memphis’ locker room, with some players agreeing with Morant and some siding with the coaching staff. He never formally requested a trade, but the 26-year-old made it clear he couldn’t see a path forward with the Grizzlies in the wake of the suspension, Siegel adds.
The Heat hold a level of interest in Morant, Siegel confirms. The Kings are also hanging on the periphery of the situation, though they’d only be interested in acquiring Morant if the asking price was low enough — Sacramento is unwilling to part with draft assets in any talks for the two-time All-Star, sources tell Siegel.
Here are a few more rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- The Lakers are exploring the possibility of trading their 2032 first-round pick for two or three lesser-value first-rounders, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link), who points out that Phoenix made a similar move last year in a deal with Utah. Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent have both been made available as Los Angeles continues to search for a wing upgrade, O’Connor adds.
- The Pelicans are among the teams with interest in Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin, league sources tell Siegel (Twitter video link). Indiana has checked in with New Orleans about second-year center Yves Missi, and Siegel wonders if the two clubs could potentially make a deal centered around those two players.
- Head coach Steve Kerr said Jonathan Kuminga‘s trade demand won’t cause any problems for the Warriors prior to Thursday’s game vs. New York, as Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “It won’t be a distraction,” Kerr said. “Jonathan’s a great young guy. His teammates like him. He’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.” Kerr said he spoke to Kuminga earlier in the day. “There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff,” Kerr said. “It is what it is. Difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league, part of this job. We just keep moving forward. But it’s a tough situation and I don’t really have much to add.”
And-Ones: Caboclo, All-Star Teams, Rising Stars, More
Former NBA forward Bruno Caboclo has signed a rest-of-season contract with Dubai Basketball, the EuroLeague team announced in a press release.
The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Caboclo spent seven years in the NBA, last suiting up for Houston in 2020/21. The 30-year-old spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, won the FIBA AmeriCup tournament with his native Brazil over the summer, and was sidelined to open ’25/26 due to a back injury.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has made his picks for the 2026 All-Star teams, identifying nine locks from the Eastern Conference and 10 locks in the West, with five “bubble” candidates in each conference. Bontemps makes Pacers forward Pascal Siakam his final pick in the East over Desmond Bane and Michael Porter Jr., with Suns guard Devin Booker claiming his last spot in the West over Los Angeles stars Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
- Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Austin Rivers have been named honorary head coaches for the NBA’s 2026 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, the league announced (Twitter link). NBA rookies and sophomores will comprise three of the teams, with the fourth squad made up of G League standouts.
- Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify one trade candidate to watch on each NBA roster, ranging from big names like Ja Morant and Domantas Sabonis to under-the-radar trade candidates like Celtics big man Chris Boucher and Clippers forward Kobe Brown.
- In another story for ESPN, Marks takes a look at several of the most valuable traded draft picks for 2026, as well as outlining how certain teams could benefit from various convoluted swaps. Our breakdown of 2026’s traded first-round picks can be found right here.
Rory Maher contributed to this story.